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Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« on: April 11, 2013, 10:20:12 PM »

Offline FLCeltsFan

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Boston Celtics (40-38) at Miami Heat (62-16)
Friday, April 12, 2013
7:30 PM ET
Regular Season Game #79,  Road Game #39
TV:  NBA-TV, CSNNE, SunSpM
Radio:  WEEI, WAXY
American Airlines Arena 



Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Avery Bradley vs Mario Chalmers

Shooting Guard
  vs 
Courtney Lee vs Dwyane Wade

Small Forward

vs
Jeff Green vs LeBron James

Power Forward

vs
Brandon Bass vs Rashard Lewis

Center

vs
Chris Wilcox vs Chris Bosh 




Boston's Reserves
Jason Terry
Jordan Crawford
Terrance Williams
Shavlik Randolph
DJ White

Injuries
Rajon Rondo (knee) out
Jared Sullinger (back) out
Kevin Garnett (foot) out
Paul Pierce (ankle) out

D-League
Fab Melo





Miami's Reserves
Rashard Lewis
Ray Allen
Norris Cole
Mike Miller
Joel Anthony
Shane Battier
Chris Andersen
James Jones
Juwan Howard

Injuries
LeBron James (hamstring) game time decision
Dwyane Wade (ankle) probable
Udonis Haslem (ankle) game time decision
Chris Bosh  (knee)  game time decision

Game Notes
The Heat and Celtics meet for the 4th and final time this season as both teams begin to gear up for the playoffs.  The Heat lead the season series 2-1 with the Celtics winning at home 100-98 and Miami winning at home on opening night 120-107 and in Boston 105-103 in their last meeting. 

Both teams have been resting their starters in recent games.  Boston has announced that both KG and Paul Pierce will sit this one out, however they traveled with the team and may play in Saturday's game vs Orlando.   Dwyane Wade is projected to return for this game after missing the last 6 games.   Although they are listed as starting in Miami's Game Notes,  LeBron James, Chris Bosh, and Udonis Haslem are all considered  game time decisions.   I'm thinking that they may end up sitting out since Doc is sitting his two stars. 

The playoff picture, while not completely set is getting clearer.  The Heat have clinched home court for the entire playoffs.  The Celtics are still in 7th, 3 games ahead of Milwaukee with 4 games left.  They are 2.5 games behind Atlanta in 6th.  So, it looks like the Celtics will stay in the 7th spot.   With the Knicks 2.5 games ahead of the Pacers for 2nd.   Barring the Celtics losing all 4 of their remaining games and the Bucks winning all of theirs, the Heat should face the Bucks and the Celtics should face the Knicks in round 1.     

The Celtics are playing in the first of back to back games and will play in Orlando on Saturday.   This could have factored in their decision to sit KG and Pierce rather than play them back to back at this point of the season.  This game really means little in the long run but could be a chance for the Celtics reserves to get more experience  going into the playoffs.   The most important thing for the Celtics at this point is to avoid any further injuries. 

Key Matchups
vs 
Avery Bradley/Courtney Lee  vs Mario Chalmers/Dwyane Wade
The Celtics "Pit Bull" backcourt will need to contain the Heat's backcourt players.   I expect Bradley and Lee to tag team against Chalmers and Wade to keep Miami from getting into their offense and disrupting Wade especially from getting into rhythm and getting hot on offense. 

  vs 
Jason Terry vs Ray Allen 
With all the publicity about Ray Allen's defection to Miami and the Celtics bringing in Jason Terry, this has been an anticipated matchup of scorers off the bench.   Once again, both players will be trying to prove that their team made the right decision in signing them.  After all of JET's talking about how much he hates the Heat, I expect him to give this one a little extra effort. 

Keys to the Game
Defense
Both teams pride themselves on their defense and defense is always a key to winning.   The Celtics have struggled somewhat on defense without KG and also while they try to acclimate all the new faces into the defense.  Hopefully, with the chance to practice during this last stretch, the Celtics will get their defense ready for the playoffs, where defense becomes even more important.  If the Celtics want to win this game, they will have to play lock down team defense for 48 minutes. 

Rebound
The Heat are the only team in the league that rebound worse than the Celtics.   The Celtics are 29th while the Heat are 30th.  .    The Celtics need to crash the boards and prevent the Heat from getting second chance baskets and tip ins.  They can also limit Miami's fast breaks  and get some fast break opportunities of their own by crashing the boards.   They must rebound as a team with everyone going to the basket to box out or rebound. 

Be Aggressive
The Celtics have to be aggressive in going to the basket and not settle for jumpers, especially if they aren't falling.   They have to dive for loose balls and be aggressive in crashing the  boards.    The starters need to come out and play aggressively from the beginning and the second unit needs to come in and pick up where they leave off.  They have to attack the basket and be aggressive on defense.   

X-Factors
On the Road and Injuries
The Celtics are on the road and have not played well on the road this season.  However,  they must find a way to focus and to win on the road because they won't have home court in any series this post season. 

In these last few games, it's going to be hard to predict who will play and who won't.  The Celtics have announced that KG and Pierce are definitely out.  It will depend on which players are out for the Heat to determine how tough this game will be for the Celtics. 
« Last Edit: April 12, 2013, 02:08:36 PM by FLCeltsFan »

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2013, 11:07:34 PM »

Offline The Rondo Show

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Shavlik Randolph: 32 pts 26 rebounds ;D
DKC Suns

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2013, 11:13:35 PM »

Offline KGs Knee

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Shavlik Randolph: 32 pts 26 rebounds ;D

Even with KG out, what makes you think Doc will give Shav the 20 minutes he'd need to put up these kind of numbers  ;)

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2013, 11:18:28 PM »

Offline Lightskinsmurf

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Anybody excited for this game? I'm not.....I'm just ready for the playoffs. Nothing else really matters to me right now and whatever happens happens....But I'm tired of the regular season.

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2013, 11:22:05 PM »

Offline KGs Knee

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Anybody excited for this game? I'm not.....I'm just ready for the playoffs. Nothing else really matters to me right now and whatever happens happens....But I'm tired of the regular season.

I agree

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #5 on: April 12, 2013, 12:20:15 AM »

Offline Celtics18

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Anybody excited for this game? I'm not.....I'm just ready for the playoffs. Nothing else really matters to me right now and whatever happens happens....But I'm tired of the regular season.

I think saying I'm "excited" would be too strong a word, but I'm definitely still engaged.  Our magic number for the seventh seed over Milwaukee is still at two with four games left.  Our guys still have something to play for. 
DKC Seventy-Sixers:

PG: G. Hill/D. Schroder
SG: C. Lee/B. Hield/T. Luwawu
SF:  Giannis/J. Lamb/M. Kuzminskas
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C:    N. Vucevic/K. Olynyk/E. Davis/C. Jefferson

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #6 on: April 12, 2013, 11:26:39 AM »

Offline Eddie20

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James, Wade, & Bosh expected to play.

Haslem & Battier out (rest).

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #7 on: April 12, 2013, 11:48:20 AM »

Online SHAQATTACK

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LeBron will posterize somebody ... maybe 2-3 guys   ::)

hope nobody trips him on the way to a basket. :o

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #8 on: April 12, 2013, 12:14:17 PM »

Offline kozlodoev

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LeBron will posterize somebody ... maybe 2-3 guys   ::)

hope nobody trips him on the way to a basket. :o
LeBron will posterize somebody ... if he suits up.
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Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #9 on: April 12, 2013, 12:20:24 PM »

Offline Clench123

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Bulls showed there's a way to beat Miami.  Play them physical...body to body.  Someone like Hinrich taking down Lebron when he was coming down the lane like a freight train is very impressive to me.  When you foul them foul them hard.  Unfortunately we don't have our toughest player on the team for the rest of the season

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Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #10 on: April 12, 2013, 12:34:23 PM »

Offline gar

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Hinrich is the man. Make him an honorary Celtic. Or better yet Danny go get him - would love to see him in green.

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2013, 01:04:46 PM »

Online rocknrollforyoursoul

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James, Wade, & Bosh expected to play.

What a joke. These guys have been sitting out left and right, and now they decide to suit up, when Pierce and KG are out? Sounds to me like they're just itching to pound Boston by 40, just for grins and giggles. And with no KG and Pierce, they probably will come pretty close to that.
"There are two kinds of people: those who say to God, 'Thy will be done,' and those to whom God says, 'All right, then, have it your way.'"

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Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #12 on: April 12, 2013, 01:48:11 PM »

Offline CelticSooner

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Anybody excited for this game? I'm not.....I'm just ready for the playoffs. Nothing else really matters to me right now and whatever happens happens....But I'm tired of the regular season.

Not really. Have been ready for the playoffs for the past month as is usually the case this time of year.

On paper this game won't even be close. Should be over by halftime.

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #13 on: April 12, 2013, 02:54:59 PM »

Online Who

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Anybody excited for this game? I'm not.....I'm just ready for the playoffs. Nothing else really matters to me right now and whatever happens happens....But I'm tired of the regular season.

Not really. Have been ready for the playoffs for the past month as is usually the case this time of year.

On paper this game won't even be close. Should be over by halftime.

Yeah, me too.

I haven't found the regular season enjoyable for awhile now. Short-handed roster. Further injuries to KG and Pierce missing some games too. Several scrubs getting court time. So-so performances.

I just want the playoffs to start. For the best players to be back in action and playing long minutes. For the scrubs to be glued to the bench. And let's see we got here.

Re: Celtics (40-38) at Heat (62-16) 4/12
« Reply #14 on: April 12, 2013, 03:26:48 PM »

Offline Chief

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Anybody excited for this game? I'm not.....I'm just ready for the playoffs. Nothing else really matters to me right now and whatever happens happens....But I'm tired of the regular season.

Not really. Have been ready for the playoffs for the past month as is usually the case this time of year.

On paper this game won't even be close. Should be over by halftime.

Yeah, me too.

I haven't found the regular season enjoyable for awhile now. Short-handed roster. Further injuries to KG and Pierce missing some games too. Several scrubs getting court time. So-so performances.

I just want the playoffs to start. For the best players to be back in action and playing long minutes. For the scrubs to be glued to the bench. And let's see we got here.

I'd like to see DJ White get extended minutes.
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